Explosive powder and manufacture thereof



Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITE :STAT'ES rss'r EXPLOSIVE POWDER AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF N Drawing. Application November 29, 1937, Serial No. 177,057

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in explosive powder and the method of making the same.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of an explosive black powder that is more stable, less susceptible to deterioration in the presence of moisture and of higher impact than the present commercial black powder.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an explosive black powder that, in use, emits relatively small quantities of obnoxious gases and will not produce a flash sufficient to ignite any explosive dusts that might be present, thereby making it very desirable for use in mines or other places where it is enclosed in limited areas.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a method of making explosive powder which materially shortens the time now generally required in making similar powders, greatly lessens the hazard now attending the manufacture of such powders, and also insures a very even and uniform mixture of the various substances composing the finished product.

The finished product consists of a composition of matter produced by intermixing water, sucrose, potassium nitrate, coal dust, and potassium chlorate. The sucrose used in preferably refined cane or beet sugar (C12H22O11). Some of the other carbohydrates such as levulose which is formed by the inversion of sucrose, might also be used.

The potassium nitrate (KNO3) should be 99 7 pure and in a powdered form for the best results. Sodium nitrate (NaNOs) might be substituted for the potassium nitrate with very good results.

It has been found that fine coal dust serves as a very suitable carbon material for the composition. While charcoal has been generally used heretofore, in the manufacture of explosive powder, yet finely powdered semi-anthracite coal dust has proven to have many advantages over the other forms of carbon and is used in this composition.

Potassium chlorate (KC103) used in the present composition should be of a high degree of purity.

The preferred procedure in making this composition of matter is as follows:

Six pounds of water are placed in a vat on a furnace and heated to about 200 F., to this warm water about twenty four pounds of sucrose is added and the temperature is raised to approximately 212 F., thirty three pounds of powdered potassium nitrate are: now added to the solution, which is constantly stirred until. the sucrose and potassium nitrate are completely dissolved, about ten pounds of finely divided semi-anthra cite coal dust is now thoroughly stirred into the solution for several minutes to obtain a good even mixture thereof, the resultant composition is now removed a safe distance from the furnace, and thirty three pounds of potassium chlorate are added and the composition mixed until the mass is hardened sufficiently to retain its form when it has been pressed through a graining screen; after the mass has been properly formed by passing it through the graining screen, it is placed in trays and dried.

The temperatures and quantities of materials may be varied within certain limits without materially changing the method of making the powder. For the purpose of making powder of vari ous practical impact tests, it has been. found convenient to vary the quantity of each of the constituents of the composition within the following amounts for the production of a given amount of powder; water 6 to 12 pounds, sucrose 10 to 24 pounds, potassium nitrate to 33 pounds, charcoal or coal dust 10 to 45 pounds, and potassium chlorate 30 to 33 pounds.

The combination of the elements in the proportions set out above in the preferred procedure, will produce about 100 pounds of the finished powder.

Some of the other combinations of the elements that are now being used by the applicant in the manufacture of powder for special uses are:

First, water '7 pounds, sucrose pounds, potassium nitrate pounds, coal dust 25' pounds and potassium chlorate pounds.

Second, water 9 pounds, sucrose 20 pounds, potassium nitrate 15 pounds, coal dust pounds, and potassium chlorate 30 pounds.

Third, water 12 pounds, sucrose 10 pounds, potassium nitrate 15 pounds, coal dust 45 pounds, and potassium chlorate 30 pounds.

All of the above described combinations of ingredients made as described, produce explosive powders suitable for definite purposes and having the following valuable properties; will not deteriorate if moistened but can be dried without impairing its effectiveness, does not give off obnoxious gases when burned, when exploded will not produce a flash sufficient to set off explosive dusts that might be present and have relatively high propulsion values.

What I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is: V

1. An explosive powder comprising ingredients in substantially the following proportions, sucrose twenty four pounds, potassium nitrate thirty three pounds, finely powdered coal ten pounds, and potassium chlorate thirty three pounds.

2. The method of making explosive powder which consists in dissolving sucrose and potassium nitrate in hot water, mixing therewith finely divided coal, adding potassium chlorate to the resultant solution and mixing until the mass begins to harden, passing said mass through a graining screen and then drying the grains.

3. The method of making explosive powder which consists in dissolving potassium nitrate in a hot solution of water and sucrose, adding finely pulverized coal to the resultant solution, adding 20 potassium chlorate to the resultant composition and mixing until the mass begins to harden, then forming said mass into granules and permit them to dry. 7

4. The method of making explosive powder which consists in heating six pounds of water to about 200 F., then adding twenty four pounds sucrose and raising the temperature of the resultant solution to about 212 F., now adding thirty three pounds of potassium nitrate and constantly stir until the sucrose and potassium nitrate are completely dissolved, introducing ten pounds of finely divided semi-anthracite coal dust into the resultant solution, and stirring until a uniform mixture is obtained, then adding thirty three pounds of potassium chlorate and mix until the mass begins to harden, passing the partially hardened mass through a graining' screen and then drying the resultant granular product.

HENRY GEORGE PERT. 

